Barcelona Travel Sights - Park Guell by Antoni Gaudi

One of the most distinct and cool neighborhoods in Barcelona is Gracia. If you're looking for a place to stay in Barcelona for your holiday then Gracia is a great place to rent accommodation in the city.

You should rent an apartment because there aren't many hotels to choose from, so it's one of the most few places in Barcelona where tourism isn't rampant. This fact makes it one of authentic places to stay in the city, and it's well connected with public transport. It's also the zone where many of the artists of the city live.

There are many restaurants in the area which are full of typically Catalan cuisine, with terraces which you can relax on, more specifically they are located on Placa del Sol, the busiest place in the neighborhood. You'll see residents chatting away outside of restaurants and bars on terraces, benches, and even on the floor, while children play: authentic Barcelona atmosphere.

So here are the most interesting places to visit in the Gracia neighbourhood:

Park Guell: This famous garden complex was designed by Antoni Gaudi during 1900 -1914. Park Guell situated on the hill of El Carmel in the Gracia district of Barcelona, and it is one of the main touristic landmarks in the city. It is also part of the UNESCO World Heritage Site, known as "Works of Antoni Gaudí". Fantastic shape houses, beautiful greens, fairy sculptures, atmosphere of the peace and calm - it's all about Park Guell in Barcelona.

Placa Lesseps: This area is home to Jaume Fuster library which has over 5000 sq m of space and was designed by the architect Josep Llinás Carmona, an important Catalan artist who won the FAD award in architecture in 2006. It's also where you'll find Parròqui de la Verge de Gràcia I Sant Josep, which is a bit of a mouthful, so locals call it Josepets. It's a lovely looking Baroque church. There's also Casa Ramos by the Art Nouvo Artist Juame Torres built in 1906.

Palau Robert: You can find this place on Passeig de Gracia 107, it's practically in the neighboring district L'Eixample, but it's the Tourist Information Centre of Catalonia. There are exhibition halls, meeting rooms, and areas for advice and information. It was built in 1903 and at the time was the private residence of the aristocrat Roberto Robert y Surís.

Plaza de la Vila: Gracia was never originally a part of Barcelona, in fact it used to be a town outside of Barcelona. The main thing here is the clock tower that acted as the old town hall.

Placa del Sol: The most famous square in Gracia whose name comes from a sculpture, a sundial with twelve signs of the zodiac designed by Joaquim Camps. Here you will find many restaurants, tapas bars, terraces, and the occasional street entertainment. The square was built in 1840 and was an air raid shelter during the civil war.

Travessera de Gracia: This is perhaps the most touristic part of Gracia, though it's still full of residents going shopping. It dates back to medieval times and there are parts documented as far back as 1057. It got its present name in 1932. Before 1867 it was known as simply Travesera (no reference to Gracia), and was a part of Gracia, which at the time was a town outside of Barcelona. You can also find a market nearby; el Mercat de L'Abaceria Central, which opened its doors in 1892.

So when you stay in Barcelona, don't just choose the areas on the beaten path. Think instead about Barcelona holiday apartments in Gracia, with all the charm it has to offer. You won't regret it.

Traveler's Notes

Location

Barcelona is the capital of Catalonia, Spain

Language: Catalan, Spanish

Monetary unit: Euro, € (EUR)

Time Zone: UTC +1(+2 in summer)

Phone code: +34 93

Climat: Mediterranean

Nicknames: Ciutat Comtal (City of Counts), Barna, BCN

Useful phones: 112 - general emergencies

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